Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

Havoc

I glance around the room; glad I left Nevaeh back at the compound despite her arguing with me. Things might have calmed down a little since Khan and the traitors were killed, but there is far too much unrest within this club for me to feel comfortable bringing her here.

I look around at all the familiar faces as Hannibal stands beside me with his face blank. Lola stands just in front of him, her head down. His hands rest on her shoulders as if waiting for her to run.

“Khan is dead. Driller is a marked man, and everyone else who thought it was acceptable to open fire on innocent civilians are also gone. What Khan did to this club was fucked-up, but none of you noticed. Or if you did, you let it slide. How it got this far, I don’t know, but it won’t be happening again. Not on my watch. Initially, I thought about disbanding this chapter altogether. The locals detest you. I’d be doing them a favor,” I point out, ignoring the protests. My gaze falls on Elmo, Byte, and Ferris, who are also standing at the side of the room quietly watching.

“Then I came here and realized there are good brothers here. Some of you just lost your way.” The room quiets more.

“Hannibal is going to be your new president. I’m sure those who don’t know him have heard of his reputation. I dare you to fuck with him.”

“I won’t be letting shit fly, so if you don’t want to get this club back to where it should be, then leave now. There’s the door. Nobody will stop you, but this is the only shot you get. If you stay, you’re agreeing to me being your president. You’re agreeing to abide by my rules and do as I ask to make this club formidable once more,” Hannibal warns them.

“How come you’re making an outsider president?” someone calls from the back of the room.

“Because I don’t think any of you are up to the job.”

“And you think you’re the right person to make that decision?” Someone snorts but shuts up when they realize nobody is joining in.

“I honestly don’t give a shit what any of you think, but I’ll remind you just this once. I’m the President of the Mother Chapter of Raven Souls. Either learn respect, or I’m burning this club to the ground. I do not give a fuck. I owe you nothing.”

“The fact he’s giving this club a second chance is more than you deserve, but by all means, piss the boss off. See how that works out for you.” Hannibal laughs, a cold, cruel sound that has people stepping back.

“We hear you, Havoc.” Elmo steps forward. “There is a lot of shit you don’t know. Shit I’ve only just found out about. I’ll tell you everything later, but you need to know that Khan was a traitor to us all. He didn’t deserve to wear the Raven Souls patch. Every word out of his mouth was a fucking lie. I’ve been investigating him since Havoc was last here.”

Shuffling and surprise in the crowd now.

“Khan was embezzling money from the club. I found an offshore account in his name with just over a million dollars in it. I’ve also found direct ties to him and at least half of the missing girls.”

“Oh shit,” someone curses. I hear a couple of women crying, but I ignore it. The openly angry faces now look shell-shocked.

“Driller was working directly with Khan. I don’t know if he knew about the money. It seems unlikely because he’d have demanded a share of his own. But money was never Driller’s motivation. He’s a bully and a narcissist.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lola flinch.

“He is the loose end right now. He is considered an enemy of the club. If any of you offer him safe harbor, you’ll answer to Hannibal. And if there is anything left of you, you’ll answer to me.”

“What about Lola? She’s carrying his kid. He’ll come back for her.”

Hannibal squeezes Lola’s shoulders. “Lola is mine.” His hand slides down to cover her belly. “This baby is mine. If Driller comes for either of them, I’ll gut him like a fish before I show him how I got my name.”

Nobody argues. It looks like they do have some common sense between them, after all.

“I’ll pick who I want on the cabinet at a later date. I need to talk to you all first and see who I think will work best where. The only exception is Byte. I’m making you my VP. You know this club, the brothers, and the town. You get the delightful job of being my voice of reason.” He grins at Byte, who nods.

“If that’s what you need. I’ve stood by for too long and watched as Khan took the club I loved and turned it into something I barely recognize. If Hannibal says he can bring us back to glory, I’ll happily stand beside him.”

“Good.” I turn to Hannibal and clap him on the shoulder. “Good luck, brother. Remember, I’m only a phone call away.”

My eyes drop to the woman in his grip. “Lola.”

She looks up at me. Her expression is pained.

“We’re never going to be friends, not after what you did. But I can let bygones be bygones if you treat Hannibal better than you did me.”

Her eyes flood with tears, but she doesn’t answer.

“Don’t worry about me, Havoc. Lola knows exactly what I’ll do to her if she crosses me.”

I swallow down my retort. Hannibal might be a psycho in his own right, but I have enough faith in him that he won’t push things too far. Besides, Lola’s alternative is Driller, and he won’t settle for mind games. He beat her black and blue for the fun of it.

I turn, wanting to get home to Nevaeh. Dice is coming home today, and something tells me she might smother him if I don’t rein her in. I say my goodbyes and leave. Hoops, who was waiting with the bikes, joins me as I pull out. It’s a cautionary move. Until Driller is found, I don’t want anyone riding alone.

We ride straight through, not stopping until we reach the gates of the compound. Kieran, who now goes by Powers thanks to his stint as a spy, opens them for us, waving us through. I stop and wait for him to close the gate behind us.

I lift my visor and wait for him to approach. “You settling in okay?”

“Nevaeh got me set up and made sure I knew where everything was.”

“Good. Hannibal wants you to call him if anything you think he should know comes to mind.”

“No worries.”

“Thank you for what you did for the club.”

“I don’t feel like I did much at all,” he admits, but I shake my head.

“You were my eyes and ears when I couldn’t be there myself, and Inigo told me how you played backup for them. I’m glad to have you here as a prospect. I think you’ll be an asset to the club.”

“Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”

I nod and ride into the warehouse before heading to the clinic. I laugh when, through the open window, I hear Dice trying to argue with Nevaeh.

“I swear to you, I’m fine.”

“I know you are, but I’m going to make sure it stays that way. Now, do you need anything else? Some water or some ice chips? Here, let me just?—

“Woman, if you fluff my pillows once more, I might voluntarily slip into a coma just to get some peace.”

I push the door open and walk in to find Nevaeh with her hands on her hips, glaring down at Dice, who gives me a relieved look when he sees me in the doorway.

“Please tell me you’ve come to rescue me.”

Nevaeh spins around when she realizes someone is behind her. “Oh hey, Havoc. I’m just making sure Dice is okay.”

“Looks to me like you’re tucking him in. You sure you don’t want to read him a story next?” I tease but shut up when I see hurt flash across her features.

“I’m sorry, I’ll go.”

“Hey now.” I wrap my hand around her waist to stop her from leaving. “I’m just teasing, and so is Dice. We both know you care about him and that you’re worried. But you have to let the man get some rest. He’ll let us know if something is wrong, right?” I look at Dice, who nods.

“I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize my recovery, Tink. I promise.”

She groans. “Not you, too.”

Dice grins. “I can’t help it if the name fits. Besides, when you were shaking your head and tapping your foot at me, you really did remind me of an angry fairy.”

Nevaeh rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch. “Alright, I’ll leave you alone. I know I’m hovering. I’m just happy you’re home. I’ll make sure your apartment is ready and stocked for you, though Hannibal says you need to stay here for the next few days. A traveling medic is coming in to check on you. If you’re really good, I’ll ask one of the bunnies to play nursemaid for you.”

“This is why you’re my favorite,” Dice whispers, his eyes slipping closed.

“Come on, let’s give him some peace. I’ll get one of the girls to come keep an eye on him.”

“Okay.”

I lead her over to the saloon, nodding to Circus and Capone, who pass us as we walk in.

“How did it go?” Circus questions.

“Better than I expected. There are a few disgruntled brothers, but none of them are stupid enough to go up against Hannibal.”

“Damn straight.”

“Either of you seen Lil?”

“She’s playing pool with Kruger.”

“Alright, thanks, man.” I lead Nevaeh over to the pool table and watch for a second as they wrap up the game. Lil kicks Kruger’s ass, much to his annoyance.

“What can I do for you, Pres?” he grunts at me.

“I’m actually here to ask Lil a favor. You mind sitting with Dice for a bit? He’s asleep now, but with Hannibal gone he’s alone over there.”

“I don’t mind. I’ll take my Kindle over and some snacks. Don’t worry, I’ll look after him.”

“Thanks, darlin’.”

I see G waving me down. “You okay here for a minute? Looks like G wants me for something.”

“Sure. I want to see how Amity’s shoot went anyway. Come find me when you’re done.”

She heads off to find Amity as I walk over to G, who nods to my office. I don’t say anything until he closes the door behind him.

“What’s up?”

“Two things. I managed to pull some footage from that camera the day your tires were slashed.”

He holds his phone out for me to see. From the angle of the camera, you can’t get a clear shot of the bike, but you can see a man on his own and a couple holding hands as they walk past where it was parked. One of them might have seen something. “I vaguely recognize the homeless looking guy as the one who I sometimes see hanging around the diner. I not sure about the couple through.”

“The blond guy is Clem Abbot. He’s a realtor who is relativity new to the area. The red-haired woman is Angela Hannigan. She’s a barfly with a reputation of going home with anyone who buys her drinks. Clem is married, but not to Angela so whoever we send to question them should keep in mind that they’re likely to lie to save their own skin.”

“I’ll send Toot. I have a feeling; he’ll get what he needs out of Angela at the very least. That’s assuming they saw anything at all. I figured it was a long shot anyway. What else?”

“The comments on Nevaeh’s social media posts are getting worse. They’ve used the shooting as a way to draw others to their cause.”

“Her personal page?”

He nods.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s only a handful of people and one ringleader, one of the guys I was already watching. They are pretty much saying Nevaeh is the reason that so many people got hurt at the signing. They’re saying she should kill herself and other nasty shit. The ringleader mentioned what he would do to her when he gets his hands on her. Then went on some rant about making them pay for fucking everything up.”

“Them?”

“You, Dice and Capone? Each of you were photographed at the event and seen arriving with Nevaeh. The only other them could mean the shooters. But as there were no credible witnesses, nobody has linked them back to Raven Souls. Not to mention, how would he know it was a them and not a solo shooter?”

“Unless he was there at the signing.” I rub my hand over my face.

“Might be time to call the cops in on this one. Nevaeh is too high profile, and the comments are already gaining traction. People who were at the signing have come to both Nevaeh’s defense and yours. There is even a photo doing the rounds of you carrying the girl who was shot in the leg to safety. Most people are backing Nevaeh and you, but that seems to only make this small group even more pissed.”

“Nevaeh see any of this, you know?”

“I swiped her phone and disabled her social media apps so they won’t open for her. Once she notices, she’ll get me to look at it and I have to turn them back on. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you can tell me how you want me to deal with it.”

“Can you trace who these assholes are?”

“Maybe. It depends on what kind of setup they have. Average Joes do little to hide their online presence. Someone with more knowledge might use a VPN, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Do your digging first. If I need to call the police, I will. But they’re unlikely to do much unless there is a real possibility of a threat to Nevaeh’s safety. For all we know, these people could live halfway across the world and be all bark and no bite.”

“I hear you. Leave it with me, and I’ll see what I can find. Just make sure she has eyes on her wherever she goes.”

“With Driller on the loose still, that’s a given.”

“Any signs of him making an appearance yet?”

“I told Hannibal he could stay in my house. It makes sense, as Lola was still living there. He told me the place had been trashed, so Driller has been back at some point.”

“We figured Lola would be first on his list.”

I shrug. “All he did was ruin the baby stuff and shit belonging to Lola. He’s acting like a fucking toddler that had his favorite toy taken from him.”

“I guess, in a way, he has.”

I walk to the mini fridge and pull out two beers before offering him one. “With Hannibal gone, we need a medic, a nurse, or even a doctor on hand. Know anyone that might be interested or who owes us a favor?”

He taps his fingers on the desk as he considers. “Lil is the first one who comes to mind.”

“Lil?”

“Yeah, she was studying to be a nurse when all that shit went down with Bear. She dropped out when she only had a couple of months left until she qualified.”

“Shit, seriously? Think she’d consider going back if we foot the bill?”

“I don’t know. Something happened with her, something more than she’s told us. You didn’t know the old Lil, but this version is a ghost of the woman she used to be.”

I take a sip of my beer and think about it. “It’s been almost six years. If something more happened and she is still shut down and not letting anyone in, then maybe we need to push her a little.”

“And what if we break her, Havoc? She put herself between Bear and his cronies and saved the old ladies and kids who were here at the time. And do you know how they thanked her? They left. They left her here with all their demons and moved on with their lives. None of them keep in touch. I doubt they even spare a thought for the woman who protected them. That’s what changed the dynamic around here. There was always a division between bunnies and the old ladies, which is in most clubs. But when Bear turned on us, those of us who stayed worked together, brother and sister, side by side. They’re good girls for the most part, though I worry some of the newer ones want to mess with the status quo.”

“Yeah, I had a run-in with them myself. Nevaeh put them in their place, and I reminded them that I won’t take their shit. If they push, I’ll toss them out on their asses. But back to Lil. If I ask her in such a way?—”

“You mean guilting her because we don’t have anyone with medical training anymore?”

“Tomatoes, to-mah-toes, but yeah. If I force her hand a little, think she’d do it? Or will she run? I want to force her to start living again, not retreat to the corner.”

He thinks it over. “I think she needs something more than what she has now. It’s one of the reasons she volunteers at the shelter. She might be scared to take the leap, so perhaps a push is exactly what she needs. Just tread carefully.”

“Careful is my middle name.”

He chokes on his beer.

I flip him off, grinning. “How did Amity’s commercial go?”

“Good. Though she still finds it weird playing herself.”

“I can see why they’d want her, though. After the publicity generated by the movie and the fall out of the stalker, people were impressed with Amity and her grace under fire. If anyone should be marketing a clothing line for female rock climbers, it should be the woman who managed to survive being thrown off one.”

He grits his teeth.

“Sorry, man, that was shitty of me.”

“Why? It’s true. My nightmares aside, she deserves this, and they’re paying her a crazy amount of money to be their spokesperson. People love a champion they can get behind. Amity has overcome more than most to get to where she is, and she did it herself through sheer hard work and determination. I’m proud as fuck.”

A knock at the door interrupts us. “Come in,” I yell.

Blade pokes his head in. “Still weird as fuck knocking,” he grumbles as he walks in. “Just wanted to let you know we’re heading out. Sunshine’s not been feeling great, and Conan has reached his limit. Not that the stubborn fuck will admit it.”

“Thank you for coming when I called.”

“You’re the president now. You get to make all the shitty choices. But for what it’s worth, I’d have done the same. Felt pretty cool to be the one to come in and play badass for a change,” he admits, making me laugh.

“Probably not what you had in mind when you said you needed a vacation.”

“No, but we’ve got plenty of time before the baby gets here to take it easy.”

“That you have. Now go spend some time with your old lady.”

“Yes, Pres.” He winks at me before leaving.

“He’s right, it’s weird as fuck.” G laughs, making me grin.

“It was the right choice for him to step down. I think he’d have started resenting the club if he’d stayed.”

“I know. As much as it pissed me off in the beginning, I agree. Just don’t tell Blade I said that.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”